The Wandering Nun, Nonō

"Hiss." A small white snake kept flicking its tongue as Hui sat at the table and opened the note it had brought. She hadn't expected Orochimaru to send her to find Nonō.

The introduction consisted of just one line: captain of the medical team, the Wandering Nun. Then he'd added a location and nothing else. Did he really think she could figure everything out from that?

Hui glanced at the little snake. It met her gaze, then simply turned and slithered away.

Hui sighed deeply. She wondered if Orochimaru wanted her to find Kabuto. Qingsi, a powerful medic, was still around, after all.

"Hui, wanna go get something to eat?" Naruto's loud voice came from outside. Hui glanced at the time. It was already noon. A moment later, she heard footsteps, and Naruto opened the door. That guy still never knocked.

Hui stepped forward, quietly blocking Naruto's view of the table. "Come on. I was just about to head out on an errand."

Naruto's cheerful mood immediately turned gloomy. "Why do you have to leave again..." His voice grew quieter toward the end. It was clear how disappointed he was.

Hui gave a helpless little laugh. Naruto had probably misunderstood. She patted him on the shoulder. "Come on. I'll be back. I'm only going out for the afternoon."

Naruto lit up again. "Oh!" He happily ran to the doorway to wait for her.

Hui tucked the note and the notebook from the table into her bag, then followed Naruto.

After they ate at Ichiraku, Hui said goodbye to Naruto. He kept insisting on coming with her, but she turned him down. She didn't even know where this Orphanage was. She wandered around in circles, but still couldn't find it with the vague map Orochimaru had given her.

She did come across a shop on the way. With nothing better to do, Hui went in and bought some snacks to share with Naruto later. Then she spotted a girl crouched by the road, crying. At the sight of that flash of pink, Hui smiled ruefully. So she'd actually run into her—Sakura...

"Hey, sweet girl, why are you sitting here crying all by yourself?" Hui walked over to Sakura and spoke.

Sakura looked up at the person before her through tear-blurred eyes. She saw a neatly fitted outfit and short red hair. There was warmth and maturity in her eyes. Sakura blinked, trying to see more clearly, and another tear slipped from her eye.

Hui's gaze followed that tear. She still felt so sorry for this girl.

"Here, have these snacks. No more crying, okay?" Hui handed Sakura all the snacks she was holding. Seeing Sakura stare at her in astonishment, she chuckled.

Sakura pressed her lips together, looking at the snacks, then sneaking a glance at Hui. She seemed a little embarrassed. Hui suddenly remembered something and pulled a notebook from her bag. It was one she'd made herself.

"Here, take this. Study what's in it, and you won't get picked on anymore. And when you're sad, studying can help take your mind off things." Hui coaxed her gently, unusually proud of her own advice.

Sakura stared blankly at the notebook in her hand, at a loss. "I... I..." Her soft, childish voice was full of hesitation.

"All right, lovely girl, I have to go. See you next time." Hui handed the notebook to Sakura and didn't linger. Dusu was still watching nearby.

Sakura stared at the book in her hands, then looked up at the person—but she was already walking away. All Sakura could see was her back. She didn't even know her name, yet she'd helped her twice. How could anyone be so kind?

She looked down at the book again. She didn't know what it was, but somehow she felt it really could change her. A smile tugged at Sakura's lips.

Hui hadn't expected to find the Orphanage after wandering around aimlessly. A few older children were playing at the entrance. She didn't see Kabuto, so she waited by the gate for a while. The children noticed her. They split into two groups: one came over to her, while the other went inside.

Hui looked up at the group in front of her. They smiled at her kindly. "Who are you? What brings you here? Are you lost?"

They fired one question after another, but Hui didn't answer. She simply tilted her head and smiled at them with an innocent, childlike gaze. The others asked a few more questions. Hui still didn't answer, only smiling faintly. When they couldn't get anything out of her, they didn't know what to do. Was she mute?

One of the older girls stepped forward and took her by the hand. "It's okay. We'll take you to the matron. She's really kind!" Hui looked at her and smiled again, then followed her inside. The other children came along too.

The children who'd gone inside earlier had brought the matron over. Hui spotted Nonō at once. Her golden-blond hair fell to her shoulders, and an indescribable aura of holiness seemed to surround her.

A glint passed through Hui's eyes. She didn't know why Orochimaru had sent her here, but she'd once thought of coming to find Nonō herself. Orochimaru had even made it easier for her.

Nonō furrowed her brow as she looked at Hui. She didn't think this child was an orphan. Her gear looked more like a ninja's, so she asked without much warmth, "What are you doing here?"

The other children stared at Nonō, confused. Hui smiled and said, "I want to learn Medical Ninjutsu from you."

Nonō's wariness deepened. She stared straight at Hui. It was rare to meet someone who stated her purpose so bluntly.

"Please. It took me a long time to find you. I've been trying to teach myself Medical Ninjutsu, but I haven't made any progress." Hui looked at Nonō sincerely. She meant every word, so her conscience was clear, and there wasn't a trace of deceit in her eyes.

Nonō paused. As a member of the reconnaissance corps, she was good at reading suspects, but she could never bring herself to be harsh with children. Still, this was the kind of request she couldn't simply agree to.

"This isn't something you can just learn on a whim," Nonō said with a sigh.

"Please give me a chance, and please trust me!" Hui said earnestly, a light seeming to flicker in her eyes. What Nonō found hardest to resist was a child's hopeful gaze.

"...All right. Come inside with me first." Nonō turned and headed toward the building. Hui smiled. She ignored the children beginning to whisper around her and followed Nonō inside.

"Why does she want to learn Medical Ninjutsu from the matron?"

"Who knows? I just can't believe she deliberately pretended to be mute." Another child sounded unhappy too.

Hui followed Nonō, expecting to face some kind of test. Instead, she saw Kabuto as a young boy. Her steps slowed, and she stared at him for a moment.

Nonō noticed that Hui hadn't followed and turned to look. Hui quickly composed herself and asked, "Who is that? He looks..." She trailed off. Nonō probably understood what she meant. Kabuto always gave people a cold impression.

Kabuto looked at her with lifeless eyes, not showing the slightest emotion. Nonō turned to him. "Kabuto, would you test her aptitude for Medical Ninjutsu?"

She didn't have time to teach someone else the basics of Medical Ninjutsu herself, but it was worth having Kabuto test her. If the girl had talent, Nonō could have her learn from him.

Kabuto glanced at Nonō impassively, then turned to Hui. He went to the table, picked up a book, and handed it to her.

Hui looked down at the book in her hands, then at Kabuto, puzzled.

"These are the basics. Read them first. I'll ask you some questions later," Kabuto said flatly. He turned to Nonō, who nodded. She glanced at Hui Youling, then left.

Hui watched Nonō go, feeling a little lost. Where was she going?

"You don't have to look after her. I can teach you some things," Kabuto said in a matter-of-fact tone, though the words sounded rather conceited. Hui sighed inwardly. Why were all these geniuses like this?

Kabuto went back to the table and resumed reading. Hui opened the book and studied it carefully. Seeing that it was all basic material, she felt a little pleased.

It wasn't long before Kabuto came over. Hui answered several questions correctly, but he didn't ask any more. He stared straight at her and said, "Have you tried using Medical Ninjutsu?"

Hui had been feeling rather pleased with herself. His question caught her off guard, and she answered awkwardly, "...Well, it's still too complicated. I... can't do it yet..."

Kabuto kept looking at her with those lifeless eyes. "Let me see."

Hui had no choice but to brace herself and try. As expected, she failed. Kabuto glanced at her and stepped forward. "Try spreading the chakra across your palm. Don't concentrate it too much."

Hui tried again. This time, the green chakra held together for a moment.

"Good. Take this book and have a look." After saying that, he left. Hui stared after him, dumbfounded. Another book. She sighed helplessly, found a place to sit, and started reading. They each read their own books in the room.

Hui occasionally stole a glance at Kabuto and saw that he was reading a thick book too. His expression was so cold, though—he was practically a stone-faced statue. No wonder the others were a little afraid to approach him.

By evening, Hui knew better than to overstay her welcome and left. The Orphanage couldn't afford to feed an idler like her, and she had no reason to mooch a meal there.

Hui put away the book Kabuto had given her and said goodbye. "Kabuto, I'm heading out."

He heard her, turned to glance at her impassively, and replied, "Mm." Then he turned back to the book in his hands, completely ignoring Hui Youling.

Hui gave a helpless little laugh, then asked, "Can I come back tomorrow?"

Kabuto didn't answer. Hui shrugged. Silence meant yes, as far as she was concerned.

"Then I'll be off. I'll come by tomorrow at noon to ask you some questions." Hui stopped trying to get a response from him. After saying that, she turned and left.

Kabuto's eyes shifted toward Hui Youling as she walked out of the room. His face remained as expressionless as ever.

As soon as she stepped outside, the other children at the Orphanage crowded around her. "Are you really just here to study?"

Hui looked at them, puzzled. She wasn't quite sure what they meant, but answered honestly, "I'm here to study Medical Ninjutsu."

Someone suddenly leaned in and asked, "How did you get Kabuto to talk to you?"

Hui hunched her shoulders. She couldn't exactly say she'd managed it through sheer cheek. She gave an awkward smile. "I just talked to him. He's not actually that cold."

The children pondered this for a moment, then nodded as if they'd gained some profound insight. Hui took the chance to slip away.

After leaving the Orphanage, Hui looked back at it. If not for the building, the place would have seemed terribly desolate—quiet and cold, as if cut off from the world. Konoha wasn't all that welcoming to orphans from other villages, either.

Nonō had agreed to teach her Medical Ninjutsu, so Hui would do what she could to help in return. This would be where she studied from now on, after all, and she couldn't let that kindness go unreturned.